Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co. said vehicle sales in
China almost doubled last month from a year ago, led by demand
for its best-selling Focus sedan.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker sold 61,475
passenger cars and commercial vehicles last month wholesale in
China, a 98 percent increase from a year ago, the company said
in an e-mailed statement. Passenger vehicle sales surged 135
percent to 44,439 and commercial deliveries increased 42 percent
to 17,128 units.

Total vehicle sales in China this year, including trucks
and buses, are projected to surpass 20 million for the first
time ever as the economy rebounds, according to estimates by the
China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Ford is looking
to boost deliveries in the world’s largest auto market by
introducing two locally produced sport utility vehicles this
year, the industry’s fastest-growing segment.

Besides the Kuga, which went on sale last month, Ford plans
to start selling another China-produced SUV, the EcoSport, by
the end of March, the company said. It is also importing two
other SUV models, the Edge and Explorer.

The maker of the Ford Mustang muscle car sold 296,360 units
of the Focus sedan last year, beating General Motors Co.’s
Chevrolet Sail and Buick Excelle for the title of top-selling
car in China.

Ford will introduce the luxury Lincoln brand in China next
year, Jim Farley, the company’s chief of Lincoln and global
marketing, said in Detroit last month.

The automaker plans to introduce 15 new models in China by
2015, and boost dealerships to between 680 to 700 by that same
time period, Marin Burela, president of Ford’s joint venture in
China, said in November.